welcome home

Rixen Rise and rise again until lambs become lions; "You’re right, I had just been wondering where she might be." My brow furrowed as I spoke of the ram-horned mare, and as Kiada mentioned that she hoped Otem was okay, I agreed, a soft "Me too," escaping my lips in an indication that I felt much the same. I turned my head to look at the sky, which still a dark, brooding shade of grey. Rain had ceased to fall, however, and for the time being a damp rain smell hung in the stagnant air, a reminder of the torrential rains that signaled the arrival of drench.  It was not long before we were joined by more and more horses, many of whom I knew, and a few who I did not. Seiji, the stallion who I’d encountered for the first time at the Mangrove Tidepools, was the next to arrive. He remained silent, greeting the both of us with a polite dip of his head. Come to think of it, I didn’t think I’d ever heard him utter a word. Perhaps he did not like to speak… or maybe for some reason or another he simply couldn’t. Nevertheless, I returned his greeting with a warm smile and a tip of my antlers in his direction, glad to see that he’d heard Khairi’s call and had travelled to join us at the meeting.  The next to arrive was Waker, the black pegasus decorated with bright blue designs that contrasted sharply with the darkness of his coat. "Greetings, Waker." I said, moving back a few steps to make room for us all to gather comfortably within the protection of the stone walls. Shortly after Waker’s arrival, another mare appeared. A pure ivory color she was, with a long, silken mane and tail and blue eyes that did not bother to grace my own striped flank. Strangely, her wings did not sprout from her back but from the bones just behind her ears. With wings of that size, I supposed that she could not fly, but then again my experience with pegasi was quite limited. There was the possibility that’d I’d seen her somewhere before. But at present she was a stranger to me, though likely not to Kiada, for she greeted the golden girl with a mention of her name and a brisk nod. She did not acknowledge me, but I did not think to take her actions personally, offering her a polite "Hello," despite receiving seldom but a glance.  I listened to all that Kiada had to say with utmost interest, my eyes bright and my silver-tipped ears pricked forward in her direction. When at last Kiada spoke of Hope meeting us here, I began to wonder whether or not she would show up today. Secretly, I hoped she would. There were so many questions to ask, ones that there had been no time for at the party. Roscorro and K’yarie stepped into the clearing one after the other, and it was the dragon-stallion’s steady voice that interrupted my thoughts to bring news of the creatures he’d discovered over the course of the past moon. I was glad to see that so many horses had come to the meeting, akin to myself in that they found solace in a group setting where every horse would watch out for each other, as was promised at the previous meeting. A young colt and a filly made an appearance too, but I did not have an opportunity to ask either of their names.  Just then, Hope spoke out from where she had been hanging at the back of the group. As she addressed us, she stepped forward, and we spread out to accommodate her in the center of the circle. The Riftian deity who spoke the words that I, and many of the others, had long been waiting for. It was time for a herd, the first herd. It was as if a thorn had pierced my heart, though not necessarily in a bad way. A mixture of emotions washed over me, ranging from utter shock to fear to excitement. I was to lead alongside Roscorro? Part of me wanted to tell Hope that there must be some sort of mistake. I’d only just arrived in the Rift. There were certainly other, more qualified horses here than myself. But I also knew that there was no way I’d refuse such an offer to serve my friends. Stepping forward, my emerald eyes shining, I bowed before Hope as a show of respect, in the same way I’d witnessed the horses back in my homeland bow to their sovereign. "I- I don’t know what to say. It would be an honor." Humbled, I paused to clear my throat and collect my thoughts. When I managed to speak again, it was in a voice that was less shaky, instead laced with my usual air of nobility, "You have my word that I will do my best to serve this herd. Thank you." My emerald gaze shifted from Hope to Roscorro, who seemed to share my sentiments, and an approving chuckle accompanied my next words. "You will be a fine leader, Roscorro. Let's hope I may keep up with you." We'd established these meeting in the hopes that they would amount to something more, and it was now that the reality hit me. No longer were we a group of loosely connected vagabonds. No- with Hope’s blessing, we were a herd. A family. At last, we would have a place to call home. "TALK HERE"

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